Counter



June 9, 1942. H. L. SPAUNBURG 2,285,844

COUNTER Filed Nov. 29, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l f fi fiqRVEY L. SPAUNBz/RG June 9, 1942.

COUNTER Filed Nov. 29, 1939 'H. SPAUNBURG4 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 9, 1942. H. L. SPAUNBURG L 2,285,344

.llllunnn n 1| \J gvwmvk n HARVEY L. JPAUNBURG Patented June 9, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTER Harvey L. Spaunburg, West Hartford, Conn., as-

slgnor to Veeder-Boot Incorporated, Hartford, Coma, a corporation Application November 29, 1939, Serial No. 306.607 13 Claims. (011235-144) This invention relates to counters and more Big. 6 is an end view showing the means for particularly to a counter having a. plurality of connecting the reset shaft to the drive shaft; counting units; both of said units being adapted Fig. 7 is a front view partly in section of Fig.

to indicate a counting operation, but so arranged 6; and that as one is operated in a counting direction Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of the transfer the other is simultaneously reset to zero. As and resetting means of the order wheels of the an example of use to which the counter may be counting units. applied, reference may be had to the usual dls- Referring to the drawings, the counter A empensing units now utilized for the dispensing bodying the invention herein is for the purposes of gasoline. In such units it is customary to have 10 f ill r on shown as the cost indicator of a a counting unit to indicate either the quantity or liquid dispenser B. The liquid dispenser B is the the cost of the quantity being dispensed; it beyp e a ly used for d sp gasoline a ing necessary it the conclusion of the dispensing (H p i rectangular casing l enclosing at operation to reset the unit to zero, and if such motor l2 operatively connected through a belt resetting is overlooked, the second dispensing 16 4 0 a suc fl pu p the pump having its operation will merely be added to the first. inlet connected to the us al s r t nk (not An aim of the present invention is to provide shown) and its discharge to a fluid measuring a counter for the above-indicated or other like meter IT.

purposes, wherein a plurality of counting units The outlet of the meter ll connects to a are utilized and so interconnected that upon the 0 flexible dispensing hose l8 provided at its free start of a counting operation on one unit the end with a nozzle "having a u y p other unit wiihbe automatically reset to zero. able flow valve therein. The nozzle 20 utilized A still further aim is to provide such a countherein differs from the e e l struction in i g unit including means f r automatically and that the heel 23 thereof is bifurcated and transsimultaneously reversing the drive and resetting Versely arranged and ecured between the operation of th counting units. branches thereof is a nozzle supporting 'pin 22.

A still further aim is to provide an improved, The pin 22 serves to remova ly s pport the nozzle simplified, and inexpensive counting unit for the. n p d ap ho ks 24 f a pp in r k above-indicated purpose, which is positive in its q 26 secured to the side of the casing. The bracket action, requires a relatively small number of Z6 is 80 upp that t eh s 24 are spaced to parts, thus making it economical to manufaceach side of a slot 2"! provided in the side wall of ture, and which may be adapted for a plurality the casing and through which a control member of uses other than that indicated. for the counter Aextends for cooperative en- Other objects will be in part obvious and in gagement with the pin 22 0f the d spens nozzle, part pointed out more in detail hereinafter. for reasons hereinafter more fully described.

The invention accordingly consists in the fea- M sp ifically, the counter A includes a tures of construction, combination of elements, drive shaft 30 and a reset shaft 32 arra i and arrangement of parts which will be exemve tic alignment and journalled in a P Of plified in the construction hereafter set forth and spaced apa e d b ackets 34 a supported the scope of the application of which will be in-' 49 on a horizon ally arran ed plate 38 secured in dicated in the appended claims. the casing Hi. The shafts 30 and 32 are of equal In the accompanying drawings: length and substantially longer than the distance Figure 1 is a view of a counter embodying the between the supporting end brackets whereby the invention herein as utilized in conjunction with ends of the shafts extend through and beyond a liquid dispensing device; the dispenser casing same. The extending ends are joined by a pair being in section; V of interconnecting links 40 and 42 having jour- Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the counter nailed ends 44 allowing the shafts to be freely to illustrate the means for connecting the countrotated therein. The links are positioned and ing units to the drive means; secured against longitudinal movement on the Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view illustrating the shafts by spaced apart collars 46 pinned to the means for alternately shifting the counting'unit shafts to each side of the link end journals ll.

drive and reset connections; With this construction, the drive shaft 30 and I Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3; reset shaft 32 and the connecting links 40 and Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 3 with the oper- 42 constitute a frame or yoke 43 capable vof ating lever thereof removed; being shifted laterally as a unit, but wherein each shaft is freely rotatable within the links and independently of one another. This shifting is utilized to operate means for simultaneously and alternately reversing the j counting and resetting operation of a pair of counting units 48 and 50 mounted on the reset shaft 32. 1

Each counting unit is shown herein as comprisingthree order wheels; those of the counting unit 48 being designated as 48a, 48b, and 480, and those of the counting unit 50 being designated as 50a, 50b, and 500; the wheels of the units being alternately arranged on the reset shaft. As indicated, the peripheral surface, of each unit wheel has indicia thereon from to 9 and the speed of rotation is such that the unit being operated in a counting direction will indicate the cost of the quantity of liquid being dispensed. e

The rotation of the drive shaft 30 for operating the counting units is derived from a bevel gear 62 operatively connected in any suitable way to th'e measuring meter II. The bevel gear 52 meshes with a bevel gear 54 splined on the drive shaft 30 by a-key 56 integral with the hub thereof and freely slidable in an elongated shaft keyway 58. Gear 54 is positioned longitudinally of the drive shaft 80 by an intermediate frame member 60 and a bracket 62 secured to the frame 60, and is thus maintained in constant meshing engagement with the gear 52 when the drive shaft 80 is shifted laterally in its supporting frame.

The rotation of shaft 30 is transferred to the counting units by providing thereon for slmultaneous rotation therewith a double face clutch member 64 adapted upon lateral shifting of the drive shaft toalternately engage the clutch face 86 of a transfer gear 68 or the clutch face II of a transfer gear I2. The transfer gears 88 and 12 are mounted for free rotation on drive shaft 80 and are maintained in proper spaced apart position by the end bracket 84, intermediate bracket 80, and a spacing sleeve I4. With the transfer gears 68 and 12' so positioned, the former is in permanent mesh with a drive gear 18 adapted when rotated to operate the lowest order wheel 48aof the.counter 48 in a counting direction; whereas the gear 12 is in permanent mesh with a drive gear 18 adapted when rotated to. operate the lowest order wheel 50a of thecounting unit 50; the parts being so positioned in the embodiment illustrated that rotation of shaft 80 will operate counting unit 48.

As best seen in Fig. 2, the drive gear I6 is rotatably mounted on the hub 80 of the lowest order wheel 48a, and the drive gear I6 has secured to the inner face thereof for simultaneous rotation therewith a ratchet 82. Arranged to cooperatively engage the ratchet 82 are a plurality'of drive pawls 84 pivoted on the adjacent ends of transverse arms 86 spaced radially from and integrally connected to the hub 80 by a spider 88. Each drive pawl 84 is maintained in engagement with the ratchet 82 by a leaf spring 80; the spring having its free end seated in a pawl notch 82 (see Fig. 8) and its fixed end held between stamped out end portions 94 of a face plate 86 secured to the arms 88 inwardly of the pawls. As is apparent, the leaf spring tends to normally pivot the pawl in a clockwise direction, and thus upon rotation of the drive wheel I6 in a counterclockwise direction the pawls 84 will latch the unit wheel thereto and cause simultaneous rotation therewith in a counting direction.

supported by the intermediate bracket 60 and end bracket 36. The transfer member includes the usual transfer pinion I06 having alternate long and short teeth I08 and II 0, all of which mesh with the mutilated gear I00 and the long ,teeth cooperating with the locking disk to prevent rotation of the transfer member I02 except when rotated by the mutilated *gear I00.

Inasmuch as the transfer must span an intermediate wheel of the counting unit 50, the transfer member also includes a second gear II4. spaced from the pinion I06 by an elongated hub II2; the gear' I i4 having the same numberof teeth as the pinion I06 and in constant mesh ,4 with the drive gear II6 of the next highest order wheel 4%. Thus when the lowest order wheel 48a is rotated through one complete revolution, the mutilated gear I00 will advance the transfer member I02 one step in a forward direction and advance the nexthighest order wheel 48b on step in a forward direction, progressing the count registering on the counter unit.

In like manner, the rotation of the counter identical-t0 that previously described, no further reference need be made thereto. Furthermore,

as the operation of the counting-unit 50 and the it transfer means from one order wheel thereof the next is identical to that of the counter 48', it will not be further described, except to point out that the transfer members I I8 between each successive pair of order wheels is rotatably mounted on a shaft I20 extending between the l end brackets 34 and 36 and positioned in vertical alignment with the transfer member supporting shaft I04. y

From the foregoing, it becomes aparent that upon successive lateral shiftings of the drive shaft 30 the double faced clutch 64 will alternately connect with one or the other of the transfer gears 88 and I2 and thus operate the counting unit with which it is connected for a counting operation. Upon such shifting, means are also provided for simultaneously causing a resetting operation of the other counting unit. This means comprises a second clutching device, generally designated as I22, for transferring rotation of drive shaft30 to the reset shaft 32, until the reset shaft has been rotated through one complete revolution, whereupon the clutch device is automatically disengaged.

To accomplish this, there is mounted on the drive shaft 30 and keyed thereto for simultaneous rotation therewith a ratchet I24, and positioned adjacent theratchet I24 is. a freelyrotatable. transfer wheel I26; the latter being longitudinally positioned on the shaft between the ratchet and the adjacent link positioning collar 46. The transfer gear I 26 is in constant mesh with a drive gear I28 pinned to the reset shaft 32, whereby rotation of the latter will cause a reset operation of'the reset shaft.

In order to transfer the rotation of the shaft 30 to the gear I 26, the gear has pivotally mounted connected to the reset shaft. To connect the on a stud I carried thereby a kick-out pawl I32. As best seen in Fig. 6, the pawl has a downwardly extending arm I34 terminating in a tooth I86 adapted to be engaged behind a tooth of the ratchet I24 and normally urged to such engagement by a spring I38, and, when soengaged, the ratchet and transfer gear I26 rotate as a unit.

In order to break the connection at the completion of one revolution of the drive shaft,'the pawl I32 is also provided with an upwardly extending arm I40 adapted to engage an associated tripping lever I 42, when in position to reset counting unit 48, or a tripping lever I44, when in position to reset counting unit 50. The levers I42 and I44 depend from a stud I46 extending outwardly from the side brackets 36, and the levers are normally pivoted into forward position against a stop I48 by suitable spring means I50. When in their forwardmost position, the forward faces of the studs will lie approximately five degrees forward of the position of the pivot carrying stud I30 at the start of. a revolution, and when in this position the upper end of the pawl arm I32 will lie rearwardly of the stud, and, when so positioned, the ratchet and transfer gear I26 are connected as a unit. Upon rotation of the shaft 30, the ratchet and gear will rotate through three hundred and fifty-five degrees, whereupon the upper arm I40 of the pawl will contact the forward face of the tripping lever I42, and, upon completing'the revolution, the pawl will pivot the tripping lever I42 until the latter abuts against a limiting stop I52 extending outwardly from the end frame 36, whereupon the counting unit 48 will be reset to the zero position indicated.

When this occurs, further rotation of the ratchet will result in the pawl tooth I35 being cammed out of engagement with the ratchet tooth, whereupon the tripping lever will be formed back to its normal position and pivot the pawl to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 6. The parts will remain in this position until thedrive shaft is again shifted to produce reverse operation of the counters. When this shifting occurs, the pawl being carried laterally simultaneously therewith will be moved out of engagement with the trippinglever I42 as it moves into alignment with the space between the tripping levers, whereupon the spring I38 will pivot the pawl to again lock the ratchet and gear for unitary rotation. When the drive shaft has been shifted laterally to its full extent, the upper arm of the pawl I40 will lie rearwardly of the tripping lever I44 until a resetting operation starts. To preventv any reverse movement of ratchet I24, there may be proper counting unit thereto or therefrom. In

the embodiment illustrated, the counting unit is shown just as it has reached zero position and the means are resetting are shown just before they become disconnected from the drive shaft and the unit wheels thereof still being order wheels of each counting unit to the reset shaft, there is pivoted on one of the transverse arms 86 of each wheel a reset pawl I54 having its free end normally spring pressed into a slot I56 provided in the hub (see Fig. 9).

Arranged on the reset shaft are a plurality of longitudinally extending aligned grooves I58 of such length that when in the position shown the. reset pawls I54 of the order wheels of the counting unit 50 will be .engageable therein when aligned therewith; whereas the reset pawls of the order wheels. of the counting unit 48 will ride upon the ungrooved periphery of the reset shaft and thus be freely rotatable thereon. As clearly seen in Fig. 2, the grooves I58 are of such length that when the reset shaft 82' is shifted laterally the grooves will be moved out of alignment with the reset pawls of the wheels of the counting unit 50 and into alignment with the reset pawls of the wheels of the counting unit 48. Obviousl the groove I58 for the end wheels of the resp ctive counters is of such length that when in one position the wheel is adaptedrto be engaged and when in another it is out of'alignment therewith. With this arrangement, upon' rotation of the reset shaft it will function in the usual manner-that is, upon the groove I58v coming into alignment with the slot I56 the reset pawl I54 will be urged therein and the wheels will be progressively picked up by the reset shaft for simultaneous rotation therewith to zero posi-; tion. During this operation, the .drive pawls 84 will simply ride over the teeth of the,driving ratchet 82.

The simultaneous and alternate connecting and disconnecting of the counting units to the drive and reset means is accomplished through the lateral shifting of the yoke 43 whereby the drive shaft and reset shaft are laterally shifted as a unit. This lateral shifting is accomplished by providing the connecting link 42 of the yoke with an elongated slot I50 having its longer axis in a vertical plane. Extending into the slot I60 is an eccentric I62 carried by a ratchet I 64; the. latter having thereon a pair of peripheral drive teeth I66 and I68 advanced one hundred and eighty degrees from one another. The ratchet I64 has a reduced hub I10 spacing it from a supporting plate I12 extending laterally from the end frame34. The hub I10 of the ratchet has extending inwardly therefrom a reduced stud I 14 pivotally mounted in a suitable opening in the end plate I12.

Actuation of the ratchet I64 is accomplished through oscillation of a gear I16 pivoted onthe ratchet hub I10 and having integral therewith outwardly extending, diametrically disposed, pawl carrying arms I18. Pivotally mounted in each arm is a pawl I80 normally urged by an associated spring I82 into engagement with. the v periphery of the ratchet I 64 to engage the ratchet teeth I66 and I68 when the gear is operated in aclockwise direction and to rotate relative thereto when the gear is operated in a counterclockwise direction; the gear and ratchet thus in effect constituting a one-wayclutch connection. making a positive drive only .when

operated in one direction.

To oscillate the gear I16 and thus shift the drive and reset connections, thereis provided an operating lever I84 pivotally mountedintermediate of its ends on a stud I88 mounted on a supporting plate I12. The inner end of the level I84 terminates in a gear segment I86 meshing with the gear I16, and its outer end extends through the slot 21 provided in the side wall of the casing and between the spaced apart supporting hooks 24 of the nozzle supporting bracket 26. The outer end of the lever I04 is further provided with a notch I80 adapted to receive the transverse pin.22 of the nozzle of the dispensing hose I8, and thus upon removal of the-nozzle from the bracket the lever I84 will be pivoted about the stud I88. Upon movement of the nozzle from the bracket, the gear segment I88 of the lever will be moved downwardly to oscillate gear I16 in a clockwise direction through one hundred and eighty degrees.

' Due to the engagement of the ratchet teeth I66 and I88 with the ratchet pawls I80, the ratchet will be simultaneously rotated through one hundred and eighty degrees, and the eccentric arm I62 will shift link 42 to the right, thus snifting'ycke 43 to reverse the .drive and resetting connections. Upon replacing the nozzle handle on its supporting bracket, the pin 22 will be received within the notch I90 of the operating lever I84, whereupon the latter will again be pivoted about its axis to move the gear segment I85 upwardly. During the upward movement, the gear I I6 will again be oscillated one hundred and eighty degrees, but in a counterclockwise direction, whereupon the drive pawls I80 thereof will merely ride over the periphery of the ratchet until they are again in alignment with the drive.

teeth I66. As no other movement results, the counting counter will continue to display the amount dispensed or the cost thereof until the next dispensing operation. To facilitate the movement of lever I84 about its pivot, there may further be provided a spring I92 having its upper end connected to the lever and its lower end to the supporting plate I12 As the two counting units are in axial alignment, a shroud I93 is provided and adapted to be simultaneously shifted upon alternating the drive and reset'connections to shroud the counter being reset. The shrouding means consists of a shutter I84 having a forward wall I98 in which there is arranged a plurality of top and bottom openings so disposed that the top openings are in alignment with the unit wheels of the counter 48 and the lower openings in alignment with-the unit wheels of the counter 50. Extending rearwardly from each end of the front wall are a pair of arms I98 and 200 pivotally mounted, but freely rotatable, on the reset shaft 32. The arm 200 further has pivotally mounted thereon an upwardly extending link 20I pivotally connected at its upper end to the inner end of a link 202; the outer end of the link being secured to a pivot pin 204 ,rotatably ,mounted in a supporting right to alternate the drive and reset connections, the pin 2I2 will move in the slot 2I0 of the link 208, pivoting the link clockwise, as viewed counting units and means adapted upon a single operation to automatically connect one counting unit to drive means for a counting operation and the other counting unit to reset means for resetting operation simultaneously with the shifting of shroud means to permit visual indication only of the counting counter.

Furthermore, the control means is so arranged that the shifting thereof will automatically occur upon the removal and replacing of the dispensing nozzle, and thus no manual operation other than that required for the dispensing of the liquid is necessary to assure that the counter is properly set and counting from zero upon the commencement of the dispensing of the liquid.-

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof,. it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and. specific features of the in- "vention herein described and all statements of clutching member carried by said drive shaft,

bracked 206 extending outwardly from the end frame 34.

Connected to the opposite end of the pivot pin 204 is a link 208 arranged at substantially right angles to the link 202. The link 208 has cut therein'a vertically arranged, elongated slot 2I0 through which there extends a pin 2I2 secured to and extending forwardly from the yoke link 42. As indicated in the drawings, the shroud I 93 is positioned so that the numerals of the order wheels of the counting unit 48, which is being operated in a counting direction, are visible; whereas the order wheels of the counting unit are shrouded; it being understood, of course, that the .front plate of the casing would have a slot in alignment with the displayed numerals. Obviously, upon shifting of the yoke 48 to the means for operating said reset shaft in a resetting direction, cooperative means carried by said counting units and said resetting shaft for connecting said units to said reset shaft, and means for simultaneously shifting said drive shaft and said reset shaft to clutch one of said units to said drive shaft for counting operation and to engage the other unit with the reset shaft for resetting operation.

2. In a counter, a drive shaft, a reset shaft, a pair of counting units mounted on said reset shaft, means for transferring the rotation of said drive shaft to said counting units to operate same in a counting direction, meansfor connect- ,ing said drive shaft to said reset shaft to operate said units in a resetting direction, and means forment, means interconnecting the ends of said shafts for simultaneous lateral movement, a pair of counting units mounted on said reset shaft, a pair of clutch means carried on said drive shaft, means for shifting said clutches to alternately connect same, one to a unit to be operated in a counting direction and the other to a unit to be reset.

' 4. In a counter, a drive shaft and a reset shaft,

means supporting said shafts'for lateral movement, means for simultaneously shifting said shafts laterally, apair of counting units mounted on said reset shaft, clutching means mounted on said drive shaft and adapted upon lateral shifting thereof to alternately connect one of said counting units thereto for counting operation, and cooperating means carried by said counting units and said reset shaft operable upon lateral movement of the shafts to alternately connect the other of said units thereto for a resetting operation.

5. In a counter, a pair of counting units, drive means and reset means for said counting units, shifting means for alternately and simultaneously connecting one of said units to said drive means and the other of said units to said reset means, an operating lever for operating said-lastmentioned means, and one-way clutch means connecting said lever to said last-mentioned means whereby operation of the lever in one direction operates said means and operation in the opposite direction resets said lever to initial position.

' 6. In a counter, a pair of counting units, drive means and reset'means for said countingunits,

- shifting means for alternately and simultaneouscooperating means carried by said unit and said reset shaft for resetting said units to zero position, a driving connection between said drive shaft and said reset shaft, and means for automatically breaking said drive connection upon the completion of one revolution of the reset,

shaft.

8. In a counter, a drive shaft, a reset shaft, link arms interconnecting the ends of said shafts,

-means supporting said shafts for lateral shifting movement, a clutch member fixed on said drive shaft, a pair of transfer gears freely rotatable on said drive shaft and having cooperating clutching faces adapted upon alternate movement of said clutch member to be connected to said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a pair of counting units mounted on said reset shaft, a drive gear for each of said units in constant mesh with each of said transfer gears, a driving connection between said drive shaft and said reset shaft, a second clutch member carried by said drive shaft for connecting said drive member to said drive shaft for simultaneous rotation therewith, cooperating reset means carried by said counting units and said reset shaft for resetting said units upon rotation of said reset shaft, and means associated with one of said shaft connecting links for shifting said shafts laterally whereby one of said counting units will be connected to the drive shaft for counting operation and the other to the reset shaft for resetting operation.

9. In a counter, a pair of counting units, drive means, means for alternately connecting one of said units to said drive means for counting operation and the other unit to said drive means for resetting operation, and means for disconnecting said unit being reset upon its reaching zero position.

10. In a counter, drive means, a pair of counting units, means for connecting said drive means to said counting unit to operate same in a counting direction, means .for connecting said drive means to said units to operate said units in a reset direction, and means for altering said connecting means whereby when one unit is connected to said drive means for counting operation the other unit is connected for reset operation.

11. In a counter, a pair of counting units, drive means, resetting means, and means for simultaneously connecting one unit to said drive means for counting operation and the other unit to said resetting mean for resetting operation, and means for disconnecting said unitbeing' reset from the resetting means upon the unit reaching zero position.

12. In a counter a pair of counting units, drive means, a clutch connecting said drive means to one of said counting units, resetting means, a

second clutch connecting said resetting means to the other of said counting units, means for simultaneously operating said drive means and said resetting means whereby one of said counting units will operate in a counting direction as the other counting unit is being reset and means for shifting said clutch means to reverse the connection between said drive means, resetting means, and counting units.

13. In a counter, a pair of counting units, drive means, a clutch connecting said drivemeans to one of said counting units, resetting means, a second clutch connecting said resetting means to the other of said counting units, means for simultaneously operating said drive means and said resetting means whereby one of said counting units will operate in a counting direction as the other counting unit is being reset, means for clutch shifting means to shift said shrouding means to shroud the counting unit being reset. HARVEY L. SPAUNBURG. 

